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workshop tips Best Tip Todd Bradlee grew up in New England, where he began remodeling homes at age 18. About 10 years ago, after a move to California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, he transitioned into studio furniture making. His advice for new pros is to have professional photos taken of everything you build, for your own website and for all the other places your work will appear. Japanese hammer Peen your tenons for easier assembly and a locked joint Compressing tenons with a hammer and vise makes assembly easier and prevents the mortise from scraping off all the glue during assembly, which can starve the joint. I learned this amazing technique from my friend and mentor, Steve White, who studied with a master joiner from Japan. You’ll need a Japanese hammer ($30 at HidaTool.com for a 13-oz. version with one flat and one crowned face) and a small steel anvil (inexpensive used or new). Cut the mortise first, then the tenon. Make the fit a bit snug, so it requires some pressure to get the joint together. Next, use the flat side of the hammer to peen (slightly compress) both sides of the tenon, resting it on the anvil and making sure not to hit the shoulder. Then use the flat jaws of a metal or hardwood vise (I prefer metal) to squeeze the part of the tenon next to the shoulder. The tenon should slide in and out fairly easily. Having planned out your clamping beforehand with a dry-fit, use a brush to apply glue to both mortise and tenon. Slide the joint together (it will be easy now) and close it tight with clamps. Moisture from the glue will swell the tenon back to its original size for a tremendously strong joint. One note of caution: If the mortise walls are thin, clamp the sides of the joint to stop it from expanding outward. Online Extra A Reward for the Best Tip Send your original tips to fwtips@taunton. com. We pay $100 for a published tip with illustration; $50 for one without. The prize for this issue’ tip was a set of IBC’s ne . bench/paring chisels. s to fwtips@taunton. r a published tip for one without. ue’ ne Apply glue to both mortise and tenon. —TODD BRADLEE, Bishop, Calif. To watch editor Tom McKenna give this tip a try, go to FineWoodworking.com/263. Use a vise to compress the area near the shoulder. Use the flat face of the hammer to compress both sides of the tenon slightly. Tenon Anvil 12 FINE WOODWORKING Drawings: Dan Thornton